Leaving Scotland

So eh.. I thought I should probably post an update on this blog.
In four weeks I am leaving Scotland to visit America for one month. Then I will be going on to Australia.
I am so excited because I have never been to America before. First stop will be New York, then Chicago, Tuscon, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hawaii then it's on to Sydney! Exciting times ahead. It's a long holiday which I wont be coming home from. So I'll be going to Australia to live and find work. It's scary and I'm nervous but you know what? I've lived in this shitty town in Scotland most of my life and there's nothing left for me here. Scotland will always be my home and I'm sure I'll miss it and if things don't work out I can easily book flights back.
I'm looking forward to more sunshine (fingers crossed) and a change of lifestyle. I will have to adapt to the Australian way of life and how they have conversations and their little sayings etc.

I am going to blog my experience to let others who are thinking about emigrating get an insight in to what it's like. Getting a visa was not easy, it was a long and tedious process.

bye for now

Nicola

Birds

This illustration was inspired by a song. Sort of. The song is called 'Waiting for Birds' and it is about waiting til the end of the night to get with someone you like, or waiting til the birds start singing.

So I came up with this. The song has violin in it and that is kind of how I came up with the strings attached to the heart. Originally I came up with a drawing that was just the heart with the strings being played with a bow. Then some birds pulling at the strings of the heart. This was just an experimental drawing that I liked and decided to go further with it. I quite like how it turned out. 

I used a fine liner pen to sketch it out, painted it with watercolours and then finished it in Photoshop.

Suzy Bishop

I love the film Moonrise Kingdom. I saw it for the first time recently and loved it. Directed by Wes Anderson, I very much enjoy the way his films look, they are so satisfying to watch with the attention to detail in every scene. Moonrise Kingdom is set on a fictional island called 'New Penzance'. It is a love story in which two out-casts run away aka Sam Shakowski and Suzy Bishop.

My sketch of Suzy with her binoculars, which she always carries with her. I sketched it out in pencil, then I drew it with a waterproof fineliner, then I obviously used watercolour paints.

My new little art space

I went to Ikea recently to get some furniture for my 'studio' which was basically a section of my spare room that had all of my art supplies and sketchbooks piled up against the wall. It now looks some what more like a little working space for me to draw, paint, listen to music, surf the web etc.

'Why do you always use binoculars?'  'It helps me see things closer. Even if they're not very far away. I pretend it's my magic power.'

Book Review - Tinder

If a book has a pretty cover, I'm pretty much sold. I do buy books if the story sounds good but this book by Sally Gardiner, I pretty much bought it because I loved the art work.

Tinder is a dark fantasy horror, haunting and mystifying at some parts, with a tragic ending. It was a very enjoyable story with dramatic twists, horrid characters and gruesome events. Death, despair and a bit of romance included.

The illustrations really brought the plot to life, I enjoyed flipping the pages to see the next drawing. They are all done in black and white with red being the only colour.

I wont give the story away and let you read it for yourself. Definitely worth splashing out the 9.99 that I paid for this.

Warrior King Illustration

Here is my latest illustration I am in the process of completing. I thought I was finished until I stepped back and saw that the cloak blended in with the background. Not good. Handy tip; always step back and look at your work from a distance, you will almost always notice something that doesn't quite look right.

I was influenced by some pictures I found on Pinterest of some people in warrior costumes on a film set or photoshoot.

I used pens and watercolours.

Skiing in France

I just got back from a skiing holiday last week. I was in Tignes in the French alps.

It was so much fun, I'd recommend anyone to try skiing. The scenery was amazing.

Hot chocolate break

Ink

Some pen drawings I've been doing lately. I find it difficult to come up with new ideas. I'm trying to stick to the one style.

A fox playing the violin. As they do.

I think I preferred this drawing in black and white. I might change the colours a bit.

I got this amazing book with some vouchers I got for Christmas. It's an illustrated version of Frankenstein.

Also got some great gifts on Christmas day.

Goodbye 2014

So since I last posted on this blog I have got a new job, took a trip to London, had a graduation ceremony, took a trip to Stirling, had my first Christmas and new year in the flat, etc etc etc and its now 2015! Like everyone does in January, I have set myself goals for this year! I have big plans in store. One of the plans is to blog more of what I do because I think it's nice to look back at what you did and what you achieved. Re-live the memories in a way. The highlights of 2014 for me were moving in to a flat with my boyfriend, my class end of year illustration show at college, finding a new full-time job and my graduation ceremony. Those were the best days of the year by far.

At the end of November I spent a night in the Stirling Hotel courtesy of my work and it was lovely!

I wont deny I was feeling rather tender the morning after. A walk in the fresh air definitely helped.

Stirling Castle. 

The view from Stirling Castle of the Wallace Monument. Lovely place.

At the end of September I went to London for the Dolphins and Raiders game. We went to Harry Potter world as well, which was amazing. Well worth a visit.

On a boat

Graduation day.

 

Outside Privet Drive.

Many shots of the castle were of this huge model. I stood and looked at it for ages. 

Amazing.